Lighting-fixture.



A. C. EINSTEIN.

LIGHTING FIXTURE.

APPLLCATION FILED SEPT. s. 1914 1,1 1 9 E. 1 Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

NT @FETQE LIGHTING-FIXTURE.

7 Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

- ipplication filed September 8, 1914; Serial No. 860,738.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. EINSTEIN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lighting- Fixtures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to lighting fixtures of the type which comprise a reflector and a shield arranged above and below the lighting unit, respectively, so as to produce an indirect light.

One object of my invention is to provide a neat and ornamental lighting fixture of the character mentioned that can be manufactured at a low cost and which comprises only a few parts of simple construction that can be easily assembled by an unskilled person.

Another object is to provide an indirect lighting fixture of the character mentioned that can be arranged some distance below the ceiling instead of being placed directly against the ceiling and which is so designed that a black spot or shadow will not form on the ceiling above the top reflector of the fixture.

Another object is to provide an electric fixture of the character described in which the top reflector is held in position by cotional view, partly in vertical section of a lighting fixture constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 1s a bottom plan view on a reduced scale of the fixture shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrat-f 'ing a slight modification of my invention;

and Fig. 4 is a perspective View illustrating a slight modification.

I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in an electric-light fixture, but it will, of course, be understood that any other suitable type of light could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention, for the particular lighting unit used in connection'with the fixture is immaterial so far as my broad idea is concerned.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates a lighting unit, herein shown as an incandescent lamp, B designates a reflector that is arranged above said light ing unit, and C designates a shield arranged below said lighting unit so as to cause the rays of light to be refracted onto the reflector B. The reflector B is formed from material that is transparent or translucent so that some of the light from the lighting unit A will penetrate through said reflector and thus produce an indirect light on the ceiling directly above the reflector, the term transparent being herein used to mean a substance or member that is perfectly transparent or only partly so, as translucent. The under side of the reflector B is preferably provided with a brilliant reflecting surface so that some of the light from the lighting unit which strikes the underside of the reflector B will be reflected downwardly. The shield C, which is arranged under the lighting unit A, can either be formed of opaque .ening means permanently embedded in same,

the peripheral edge of the reflector being provided with a metal binding 1. I prefer to form saidreflector froma sheet of wire glass, namely, glass in which a wire mesh is embedded so as to reinforce and strengthen the glass, and the upper surface of the glass that constitutes the topface of the reflector B is preferably ground so as to tend to prevent the rays of light from penetrating through same, thereby causing the majority of the rays to be reflected downwardly. The under side of said reflector may either be plain or corrugated. As shown in Fig. ,2, the reflector B is provided on its under side with radial corrugations 2 that tend to spread the light over a relatively large area or. in other words, reflect the rays outwardly. but. if desired. the reflector B may be provided on its under side with concentric corrugations 3, as shown in Fig. 3. so as to concentrate the rays of light and confine them to a relatively small area. a

The supporting or sustaining means of the fixture may consist 01 one or more rods 01' chains 1) that depend from the ceiling and which are preferably connected to the top reflector B at approximately the center of same. as shown in Fig. 1. and the bottom shield (l is in turn suspended tron! or supported by the top reflector ii. The top reflector 13 may be connected in various ways to the means that sustains same but in the preferred form of my invention as herein shown said top reflector is securely clamped between coiiperating flanges l and :7 on the lamp-socket and on a cap member 5". said lamp-socket passing through an o 'iening at the center of the reflector B and being screwed into the cap member 5. as shown in Fig. 'l. A washer 3 of some suitable soft or non-metallic material. is preferably inter posed between the under side of the reflector B and the flange -l of the lamp-socket, and the cap member 5 is provided with an eye or ring 7 to which the sustaining means I) is secured. The shield C that is arranged under the lighting unit. is suspended from the top reflector l3 preferably by means of chains 8 that engage hooks 9 on the upper edge ot the shield and hooks it) formed on the lower ends o'l bolts 11 which pass through the reflector l3. as shown in Fig. 1.

By forming the top reflector R from wire glass and grinding the. top surface ot the same i obtain. at a low cost. a translucent reflector that has a brilliant reflecting surlace. Furthern'iore. said reflector is exceptionally strong and rigid. thereby enabling the reflector to be supported from its center and the bottom shield to be suspended from (.llO reflector. In other words. the top reector has suflicient strength and rigidity to carry the bottom shield. and the means that sustains said top reflcctoucan be connected to the center of same inst *ad ot to theedge portions ol the top reflector. there by enabling the top reflector to be arranged some distance below the ceiling instead oi" directly against the ceiling. in view of the tact that the peripheral edge portion of the top reflector is free from upwardlyproject ing portions or flanges that would obstruct the ray of light. there is no liability of a black spot or shadow forming on the ceiling above the reflector. By clamping thetop reflector in position between coiiperating flanges or portions on two members. such, for example. as the lamp-socket and the cap member to which the sustaining means is fastened I overcome the necessity oi drill,- ing holes in the reflector and using separate fastening devices .lor securing it in position. And another ai-lvautage oi such a construction is that it canv be assembled easily by an unskilled person. thereby enabling the fixture to be shipped in knock-down form from the nmnn't'acturer to the user who can install the fixture without the. aid of a skilled mechanic. I

The fixture presents a neat and ornamental ap 'nairance. it produces an indirect light without liability of a shadow or black spot forming on the ceiling directly above the reflector. and it can be made in very larg sizes owing to the strength and rigidity of thetop reflector.

lit. desired. the socket 4 can bev provided with radially projecting arms 4", as shown in Fig. 4. that lie underneath the reflector B and thus take the strain oil the center portion of said reflector which is clamped by the flanges on said socket and on the cap member 5-".

\Vhile I preter to arrange thev reflector B some distance below the ceiling and connect the sustaining means l oi the lixture to the cap member 5? it will. of course be under stood that the. top reflector could be arranged and sustained in various other ways without departing 'trom the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what {claim as new and desire to secure. by Letters Patent is:

l. 't-li'ghting fixture comprising a flat.

transparent top reflector arranged some distance below the ceiling and having its peripheral edge portion tree from u 'iwardlyprojecting portions that would tend to prevent the rays that pass upwardly through same. from spreading out laterally over the. ceiling. and a translucent ditlusing shield of less diameter than said top reflector ar ranged under the lighting unit.

2. A top reflector for lighting fixtures consisting of a flat. liorizontallya'lisposed trans mrent member arranged some. distance below the ceiling and having its perijiil'ieral edge portion "free From any upwardly-inojectii'ig flanges or other portions that would tend to prevent the ravs which pass upwardly through same from spreading out. over the ceiling. the underside. of said memher being corrugated.

3. A top reflector for lighting fixtures consisting of a flat. horizontally-disposed trans nirent member arranged some distance below the ceiling and having its peri 'iheral edge portion free from any upwardly-projecting my ether portions that would tend to prevent the rays which pass up- Wardiy through same from spreading out over the ceiling, the underside of said mem ber bein rrugated end'the upper side of Jr being: ground.

4. A. fighting fixture comprising a fiat top reflects:- formed them a sheet of glass 1 whose underside is Corrugated and Whose upper side is greund, and a translucent dif fusing shield of less diameter than said top reflector arranged under the lighting unit. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiiX my' signature 1n the presence of two Witnesses, 15

this third day of September 1914. v ALFRED C. EINSTEIN.

Witnesses:

WELLS L. CHURCH, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

